Articles
The Challenges of Restoration
When the faithful remnant returned to Jerusalem after captivity, in the seventh month, “the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem” (Ezra 3:1) and there they “built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it” (Ezra 3:2) and did so (Ezra 3:3). They also “kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day” (Ezra 3:4) and then “the regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the Lord” (Ezra 3:5).
Later, “in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem,” the Levites and priests began “the work of the house of the Lord” (Ezra 3:8) and soon “laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord” (Ezra 3:10). Upon the foundation's being laid, with trumpets and cymbals “they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord” (Ezra 3:11). While many rejoiced at this, the “old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes” (Ezra 3:12). They wept because they had seen the glory of the original temple, and they knew it would no longer be as glorious as it once was; they wept, too, because their unfaithfulness led them to captivity.
But the Israelites were not the only ones interested in this event; it seems “the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple” (Ezra 4:1), and they came to the leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do” (Ezra 4:2). The Israelites refused and declared they would do this work without their 'help' (Ezra 4:3), and the true intentions of these outsiders were made known.
Those who had claimed to be seeking God as did the Israelites then “tried to discourage the people of Judah…troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose” (Ezra 4:4, 5). It seems they never really sought God after all, despite their words. Their real intention was to hinder the restoration of true worship, and to discourage those who sought to worship God in the way He had established.
Where else have we heard this story?
In the mid-1800s, several men in parts of the United States began investigating the Bible with an aim to learn just what the Bible said about the Lord's church, the doctrines the earliest disciples followed, how and when they worshiped, how churches were organized and what work they were given by the Lord to do, and anything else that would help in understanding what pure, New Testament Christianity looked like and what genuine disciples believed, lived, and taught.
When these men threw off the shackles of denominationalism and human creeds, they were mocked and scorned for their efforts; they were discouraged; their efforts were frustrated; some claiming to also be seeking God as they did began to work and worship with them, and then their true intentions were exposed when they started introducing things not found in the Scriptures and they forced the faithful ones out of their buildings and took the properties they had purchased and/or built for worship assemblies
Why is it that men do this when some want to simply follow the Lord and serve and worship Him as He commands us? Why is it some cannot tolerate those who preach the way of God as the only acceptable way, and cannot tolerate men who resolve to not cooperate with those who refuse to do things in the way determined by God? Why is it that the only ones who are criticized amongst the 'religious tolerance' crowd are the ones who refuse to tolerate and compromise with error?
The story of Ezra gives us the answer to these questions.
Let's go back and make sure we don't miss one important description of who these people were. Note that Ezra records these individuals as “the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” (Ezra 4:1). They were no friends of God's people; they were their adversaries!
Today, it would seem that when someone declares that they are just trying to do what God says, all of what God says but only what God says, and do it in the way God says it is to be done, that would be welcomed by any and all who profess to be followers of God and Christ. But that is not what happens. What happens is something similar to what happened when Zerubbabel refused to allow these adversaries to work alongside them as they restored the temple: discouragement, trouble, and frustration.
Let's not beat around the bush here; if someone is not for the restoration of pure and undenominational Christianity, he is no friend of the faithful, but an adversary. One who is unwilling to condemn the creed books and human traditions is no friend of the faithful disciple, but an adversary. One who cannot turn away from the faith of their ancestors to follow Christ is no friend to the true believer, but an adversary. And let us not be deceived on this, either: they are adversaries by choice, not because we arbitrarily label them as such. When a man stands against the ways of God, how can the faithful stand with him?
The apostle John did not mince words when he wrote, by inspiration, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John 1:9-11). If one is unwilling to accept the doctrine our Lord delivered, then we should not treat him as a faithful brother, and we should certainly not welcome him to speak from our pulpits or in our classrooms. When we welcome such into our midst, we share in his evil deeds!
It may sound harsh to use such terminology for those who 'profess' to be believers and who claim to be seeking and serving the same God, but let's not forget that the adversaries of the Israelites made the same claim, but they were adversaries — not friends. Please understand that not all who claim to be followers of God truly are what they claim to be; John, in fact, warns us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). If one doesn't bring the doctrine of Christ, it doesn't matter what they say they are. One who teaches false doctrine is a false teacher. That isn't really that hard to understand, is it?
Peter warns us, too, of those who “will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord” and, unfortunately, “many will follow their destructive ways” (2 Pet. 2:1, 2). These same men “despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed…not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries” (2 Pet. 2:10), and “speak evil of the things they do not understand” (2 Pet. 2:12). Their efforts will lead others astray and into destruction (2 Pet. 2:18-22), deceiving even the once-faithful. Let's not overlook the fact they will call themselves friends of the faithful all the while.
While it is not our part to judge who is truly God's or not, we can know others by their fruits (cf. Matt. 7:16). We would be foolish to call an apple an orange, but we would be even more foolish to call an adversary — one who opposes the very things we believe and teach — a friend. Walk wisely, brethren. —— Steven Harper
